Shutdown controller for a wind turbine and a method of shutting down a wind turbine
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorKeld Hammerum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shutdown controller for a wind turbine comprises, to improve the estimation of a state of the wind turbine, at least two sensors being adapted to provide sensor data significant for different mechanical states in the wind turbine. The controller can provide an estimated state of the wind turbine based on the sensor data from the at least two sensors and compare the state of the wind turbine with a predefined detection limit to provide a shutdown signal if the estimated state is outside the detection limit.
Claims19
A controller for a wind turbine, the controller comprising:
- one or more computer processors configured to:
- determine a multi-dimensional detection limit within a predefined multi-dimensional admissible state space for the wind turbine, wherein determining the multi-dimensional detection limit comprises a software-based modelling of the multi-dimensional detection limit as a convex hull;
- receive, from at least two sensors communicatively coupled with the one or more computer processors, sensor data comprising values for at least two different mechanical states of the wind turbine, the at least two different mechanical states reflected in the multi-dimensional detection limit;
- determine, using the received sensor data, a state vector describing an estimated state of the wind turbine relative to the multi-dimensional admissible state space;
- and
- communicate, when the state vector is determined to be outside the convex hull of the multi-dimensional detection limit, a shutdown signal to the wind turbine.
A method of operating a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- determining a multi-dimensional detection limit within a predefined multi-dimensional admissible state space for the wind turbine, wherein determining the multi-dimensional detection limit comprises a software-based modelling of the multi-dimensional detection limit as a convex hull;
- receiving, from a first sensor of the wind turbine, first sensor data comprising values for a first mechanical state of the wind turbine;
- receiving, from a second sensor of the wind turbine, second sensor data comprising values for a second mechanical state of the wind turbine, wherein the second mechanical state differs from the first mechanical state, and wherein the first mechanical state and the second mechanical state are reflected in the multi-dimensional detection limit;
- determining, using the first sensor data and the second sensor data, a state vector describing an estimated state of the wind turbine relative to the multi-dimensional admissible state space;
- and
- communicating, when the state vector is determined to be outside the convex hull of the multi-dimensional detection limit, a shutdown signal to the wind turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.